Electrohydrothermic oil-well processor



June 6, 1944.

D. F. TRoUPr:

ELECTR-HYDROTHERMIC OIL-WELL PROCES SOR Filed May 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

o/m/a/ E Wou/Ue "wrm/@Vgn Juni: 6, 1944. D; F TROUPE 2,350,429

ELECTRO-HYDROVIHERMIC OIL-WELL PROCESSOR Filed May 17, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 6, 1944 ELECTROHYDROTHERMIC OIL-WELL PROCESSOR Donald F. Troupe, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 17, 1941, Serial No. 393,991

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the art of treating oil wells for the purpose of rejuvenating the same by melting solidified substances, such as tar, wax, paramn and heavier oils, to the end that the same will flow toward a collecting point Where they may be lifted to the ground surface by pumps or similar equipment.

One of the primary aims of this invention is the provision of an oil-well processor of the electro-hydrothermic type wherein electrical elements are arranged to combine With a dielectric of water or other suitable liquid, to adequately generate heat and steam in a boiler of a special type. that is disposed in the oil well being treated.

A yet further aim of this invention is to provide an oil-well processor of the aforementioned character having a high pressure boiler constructed for attachment to the end of a pump barrel and provided with a liquid supply line and means for furnishing electrical energy to specially arranged, spaced apart plates Within the boiler, all to the end that a predetermined steam pressure may be built up for the purpose of radiating heat and melting solids or semisolids that may be retarding the iloW of oil from structure into which the Well has been drilled.

A yet further aim of this invention is to provide an electro-hydrothermic oil-well processor comprising an uniquely constructed high pressure boiler designed to be suspended within the oil well near that portion of the earth, from which it is necessary to withdraw solidied, meltable substances before proper ilow occurs. which boiler has a feed line of special character leading thereto from a source of liquid supply, preferably at the ground surface.

This invention has for an even further object, to provide means for fracturing bubbles that have been formed in the interstices of the oil structure through employment of heat. Such bubbles are usually formed of petroleum and water. and heat applied thereto causes gasification of light ends of the bubble constituents which establishes a pressure of suflicient magnitude to burst the same.

It is further intended to provide equipment in the nature of an oil-well heater capable of liquetying objectionable solids in the oil sand and earths strata in order that they may be pumped to the surface through the conventional barrel which is kept free from parafn because of the .relatively low temperatures established in the liqueiied solids that are capable of melting any paraiiin that may collect in the pump barrel.

Minor objects of the invention Will appear during the course of the following specication, referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a condensed vertical longitudinal sectional view through an oil Well of conventional type, showing the processor, made in accordance with this invention, in the operative position.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line II--II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a condensed longitudinal sectional view through the boiler forming a part of the processor.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view through the boiler taken on line V-V of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the boiler, made in accordance with a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View through the type of boiler illustrated in Fig. 6, taken on line VII- VII of said figure.

It is well-known in the art that oil wells become sluggish and fail to flow to the desired degree, due to a clogging of the oil sand structure or strata by solidied material such as wax, tar and heavy oils that iill the spaces adjacent to the well and thereby seal the valuable oil and liquid against normal passage to the bottom ci the well from whence it may be pumped. The idea of applying heat to the oil structure at any point along the length of the oil well is not basically new. but the means whereby heat has heretofore been applied, -have not been eicient and have been expensive to operate, construct and maintain. A temperature ranging from 300 to 375 should be established and held for a period of time in order that melting of the aforesaid solids might occur.

The step forward of employing a high pressure boiler having specially constructed and arranged parts, completely accomplishes the Objects of this invention andin its preferred form, is made as illustrated in Figs. l to 5 inclusive.

Oil well I0 usually terminates in a shot hole I 2 formed in the oil sand or strata I4, and from this hole the liquid is usually pumped.

Casing I6 lines well I0 throughout the major portion ci its length and a pump barrel I8 has a piston 29 therein operated by a sucker rod 22. Conduit 24 extends from the top of pump barrel I8 to a point where the oil from well I0 is used.

A. packing 2G circumscribes pump barrel I8 to close the space between barrel I8 and casing I6 while the oil passes upwardly only through pump barrel I8.

The high pressure boiler, generally designated 'oy the numeral 23. is made as shown in Fig. 4. Its outer case 3Q completely encloses a chamber 32 within 'which steam and heat are generated due to the disposition of the hereinafter described, specially disposed electrical elements.

Case 2e e.: ,e ball 24 et .end in screw threaded engagement with the lower end of 44 of insulating material threaded upon radial bolts 46 that have their inner ends attached to rod 38 and their outer ends in engagement with the annular side wall of case 38.

Plates 42 are joined by a yoke or connector of conducting, material d, grounded by bar 58 to the metallic side wall of boiler 25. Plates il are joined by yoke 52, made of conducting material and in connection with the lower end of cable 5d through the medium of member 58.

Cable 54 passes through the upper end of case 38V and a bushing 58 is employed to prevent leakage at the .point where cable 5d passes through the boiler wall. This cable extends to the ground surface-Swhere it is joined to a source of electrical supply, such as generator G by wire El. Cable 55 extends through packer 25 and in actual practice, packer Ztl should have a link 64 built thereinto, to the outwardly projecting ends of which, the ends of severed cable 5ft are attached.

Clamps 65 in the nature of those detailed in Fig. 2, are mounted on pump barrel i8 at points spaced along its length and in addition to operably supporting cable 5d, these clamps 68 embrace supply pipe E8 through which water or other suitable liquid is fed to boiler 2S from a tank lll, preferably located at the ground surface. Like cable 5d, pipe 55 has a seccion l2 thereof, previously built into packer 25 in order that assembly at the point of use may be facilitated.

Due to the unusually. great length of supply pipe 68 and the tremendous pressure that would be normally established therein, the same is supplied with a number of partitions l'fl through each of which an orice l is formed. One of these partitions 74 should be at the peint of connection between pipe S3 and boiler 28. The static pressure which would ordinarily be built up by an uninterrupted column of water in pipe 58 will be overcome through the employment of these partitions. As water is taken into boiler 28 from the lowermost or adjacent section of pipe S3. that section is gradually lled by water migrating thereinto from the section next above and so on. The weight of the column of water in the entire length of pipe lid is not impressed upon boiler 28.

Water or other suitable liquid is fed automatically to boiler 23 and the level thereof main-Y tained therein, due to the hereinafter described electric circuit which controls pump 'I3 supplying tank 7).V

Plates 4@ and l2 must be made of non-corrosive metal and the same act as electrode plates in which the electrolyte is water or other liquid. Since the water or liquid used is a poor electrolyte, a constant leakage between the plates of the boiler will result in a generation of heat and steam. The current consumed depends upon the level of the liquid and spacing of plates 48 and 42.

When the water reaches a predetermined low level the current to electro-magnetic coil will be lowered to such an extent that armature 82 will be drawn by spring 64 into engagement with contact point to close the circuit supplying energy to motor 83 that operates pump 18. When armature 82 is in the position shown in Fig. l,V the pump 'I8 will operate to force water into tank 'i8 from whence it will flow by the action of gravity through supply pipe 58 to boiler Z. The circuit supplying current to motor 88 may be traced as follows:

From generator G through wire 92, wire 94, wire 95, wire 98, wire lili), wire |02, contact point 86, armature 82, wire itil and wire Izl back to j generator G.

sion of spring 84, whereupon armature 82 will be withdrawn from contact point and the circuit to motor 38 from generator G will be opened. Pump i8 will cease its operation until the level of liquid 96 in boiler 28 is again at a predetermined low level.

When the pressure within boiler 28 rises to a predetermined point, pop valves H2 will operate to release the pressure and steam causing the same. These valves are equipped with springs, the tension of which may be varied if desired, in

` order that the predetermined pressure may be established at will.

A modied form ofY the invention is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. in this instance, boilery 280 is joined by supply pipe $8 and cable 55 in precisely the same manner as aforementioned. Pump barrel i8 carries boiler 299. The plates within boiler Zll, in the modified form, are differently disposed in that they are horizontal and spaced apart.

Alternate plates 2&2 are joined to the case of boiler 258 by barV 2%. Plates 296 are directly attached to cable 54 by tie-rod 288. Obviously. the liquid 218 within boiler 288 serves as the dielectric and heat will be generated within the boiler as described with respect to the form shown in Fig. 4.

Obviously, the broad concepts of this invention might be embodied in processors having physical characteristics other than those specifically illustrated and described and therefore, it is desirable to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a processor for an oil well having a pump barrel extending thereinto, a boiler; means for attaching the boiler to the lower end of the barrel; electrode plate in the boiler; an electrolyte submerging at least a part of the electrode plate; a source of electrical energy; conductors joining the said source and the electrode plates; and a supply pipe for the liquid in connection with. the boiler'extending to the latter from the ground surface, said supply pipe having a series oftransverse partitions therein each provided with an oriiice appreciably smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the said pipe.

' DONALD F. TROUPE. 

